Wire spring back construction for upholstered furniture



Jan. 19, 1943. w NEELY 2,308,772

WIRE SPRING BACK CONSTRUCTION FOR UPHOLSTERED FURNITURE Filed Dec. 1. 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet l E INVENTOR.

WILLIHM H- NEELY BY a a TTORQEY.

1943- w. H. NEELY 2,308,772

WIRE SPRING BACK CONSTRUCTION FOR UPHOLSTERED FURNITURE Filed Dec. 1, 1939 3 Sheets-SheetZ WILLIHM H- NEE'LY 1943- w. H. NEELY 2,308,772

WIRE SPRING BACK CONSTRUCTION FOR UPHOLSTERED FURNITURE Filed Dec. 1, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 A RNEY.

Patented Jan. 19, 1943 WIRE SPRING BACK NSTRTUCTHON FOR UPHOLSTERED FURNH'EURE William H. Neely, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor, by

mesne assignments, to John C. Lincoln, Scottsdale, Ariz.

Application December 1, 1939, Serial No. 307,151

6 Claims.

This invention relates to wire spring back con structions for upholstered furniture, automobile seats, etc., generally embodying an open back frame bridged by elongated wire spring members which are arranged crosswise of the frame. These wire spring members are mounted on the frame parallel to each other by attaching their opposite ends to the top and bottom rails of the I frame and are yieldingly interconnected by means of short helical springs to form a continuous unitary surface, reenforced at its side and bottom edges by a U-shaped border wire. The border wire must provide sufficient support against excessive lateral and downward movements of the outer wire spring members and possess suflicient elasticity to retain proper comfort of the resting surface of the construction. These two requirements for the border wire, sufficient stifi'ness and suiiicient elasticity, which requirements oppose each other, are presently partly satisfied by cally reenforcing a sufliciently elastic border wire. This is effected by bracing members which are coupled with the frame and border wire and stiffen said wire at certain areas. However, such reenforced border wires cannot possess suflicient yielding action and they also change the elastic action of wire spring members coupled therewith.

It is the primary object of the present invention to provide a wire spring back construction with a pretensioned border wire, dimensioned to possess the desired elasticity and pretensioned to effect the desired lateral support of the side edges of the outer springs and the resting surface of the back construction.

Another object of the invention is to provide a wire spring back construction with a pretensioned and preshaped border wire dimensioned to possess the desired elasticity, and pretensioned and yieldingly connected with the loops of the outer springs of the resting surface of the back construction to effect proper lateral support of these springs and the sides of the back construction and also proper yielding support against downward movement of the outer springs of said back construction.

A further object of the invention is to provide a wire spring back construction with a pretensioned and preshaped border wire pretensioned andyieldingly connected with the outer springs of the resting surface to effect yielding lateral support of the outer springs and proper yielding support against downward movement of these springs and specifically pivotally secured to the frame of the back construction to automatically increase lateral support of the resting surface when a load is placed on said surface near the side portions thereof, all for the purpose of providing a back construction with side edges properly yieldingly resisting deformation so as to retain the shape of the construction under all conditions.

In addition, the invention has other marked improvements and superiorities which radically distinguish it from presently known structures. These improvements or superior characteristics embodying certain novel features of construction ar clearly set forth in the appended claims, and a preferred embodiment of the invention is hereinafter shown with reference to the accompanying drawings forming part of the specification.

In these drawings:

Fig. l is a front elevation of the back of an automobile seat structure embodying the invention, parts of the covering being broken away to show the corrugated wire springs, the U- shaped edge wire, its connection with the end springs and its pivotal connection to the frame of the back construction.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the back shown in Fig. 1, disclosing the shape of the springs and edge wire in a fully assembled back.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the U-shaped edge wire in untensioned condition.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary front elevation of one side of the back while in th state of assembly, the U-shaped border wire being pivotally secured to the frame and the web portion of said border wire being secured to the forward portions of the springs.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary front elevation similar to Fig. 4 with the assembly in advanced condition. the side portion of the border wire being now yieldingly coupled with the end spring by means of helical springs; and

Fig. 7 is a side view of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary perspective view of the back of an automobile seat structure with corrugated wire springs having yielding corrugated cantilever means attached thereto, the edge wire construction including a U-shaped edge wire for the corrugated wire springs and a second U-shaped edge wire for the free ends of the cantilever means, both edge wires being coupled with each other and the end springs of the back ings, reference numeral 2 represents the tubular substantially rectangularly shaped openly formed frame of the back of an automobile seat. Tubular frame 2, which preferably is made-of steel tubing, includes a top rail 3, a bottom rail I and side rails 5. The top and bottom rails 3 and 4 support a plurality of elongated, corrugated wire springs 6 which bridge the frame and are securely attached to the said rails in a manner hereinafter to be described. 4

The elongated, corrugated wire springs 6 are made of steel wire bent to sinuous shape, so that their loops 1 extend substantially parallel to each other and permit of longitudinal and vertical yielding and stretching of the springsunder load. The upper end of each spring 6 is formed with an upwardly extended short integral extension 8, slightly curved in a plane substantially rectangular to the axis of the spring, and has at its end a downwardly extended straight portion 9 which forms with curved extension-8 a hookshaped attachment means adapted to be inserted into openings III in the top rail 3 for rigid attachment thereto. The lower end of each spring 6 is sharply bent at H rearwardly and upwardly and then at l2 downwardly to form a V-shaped corrugated supporting arm II, the free end l of which is slightly offset and formed with a curved extension 18 which forms with a doubled back straight portion 11 a hook-shaped attachment means adapted to be inserted into openings in bottom rail 4 for rigid attachment thereto. Springs 6 which in the manner described are securely fastened at their end portions to' the top and bottom rails 3 and I have the upper areas 20 of their resting portions 2| rearwardly offset by extending one of their loops 1, to wit loops 22, substantiallyrearwardly and then extending the following loops 1 upwardly in a curved plane rearwardly offset with respect to the lower portions 23 of supporting and resting portions 2|, all as described in my co-pending application Ser. No. 255,653 filed February 10, 1939. In addition and in accordance with the structure de-' right angle bends at to withdraw extensions II from their perforations II which is prevented by bending the protruding ends 32' of extensions 30. In addition, border wire 21 in its areas 33, which include the connection between web portion 26 and side arms 28, is provided near the opposite ends of web portion 26 with downwardly directed bends 34, formed with angles slightly more than 90 between said opposite ends and side arms 28, and formed to S-like bends 35 in the lower portions of said side arms, all for the purpose to eflect l9 and lateral bulging stresses in side arms 28, when these arms are pivotally connected to frame 2 and the back hasbeen fullyassembled and covered as hereinafter more fully described.

When border wire 21 has been pivotally secured to frame member 2 and its web portion 26 has been attached to springs 6 by clips 21", said border wire has substantially the shape shown in Figs. 4 and 5which clearly disclose the outward and upward bulge of the side arms 28. Such a bulging action is effected by forcing the trunnionllke extensions 30 of the side arms into perforations 3| for pivotal connection with frame 2. Trunnion-like extensions 30 and perforations ii are substantially inclined with respect to the a web portion 26 of the border wire, anal-rangement which results in additional outwardly and upwardly directed bulging stresses in these arms when the arms under load are forced rearwardly.

The thus mounted side arms of border wire 21 i are now yieldingly attached tothe loops of the outer springs 6 of the seating surface by means of short helical springs'3li (see Figs. 6 and '1) which draw the side arms further inwardly and increasethe bulging stresses in said arms in spite struction is covered with padding material 31 and scribed in the application above referred to, the

stantially' U-shaped border wire 21, clips 21' being used for such purpose. Border wire 21 in cludes side arms 28 which in disassembled condi-.

tion of said wire diverge from each other and which have their ends sharply bent at 2! to form downwardly extending trunnion-like extensions 30 used for pivotally connecting said border wire 21 with fram 2. These side arms are curved to follow subs tially the shape and outline of springs 6 when the back is fully assembled and desirable manner.

side arms downwardly and outwardly to they a cloth covering "tightly drawn over the construction and rigidly secured to the frame in any The latter step forces the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, in which the side arms are under substantial tensional bending and bulging stresses, properly support the resting surface of the back against lateral movements and properly support the outer springs 6 against lateral and rearward movement when a load is placed against the back structure near its side areas.

In the form of the back shown in Figs. 8 and 9,

top and bottom rails 3 and l of frame 2 support 20', a corrugated cantilever spring section 40.

covered. During assembly, the trunnion-like extensions 30 of the border wire 21 are pivotally I effect such a connection, the side arms 28 must be forcibly ted inwardly and this effects lateral bulging in these side arms anda tendency to the end loops 43 of all sections ill by means of clips 44. This edge wire embodies, in unassembled condition, diverging side arms 45, which arms, during assembly, are forcibly shifted toward each other and secured to the side arms 28 of edge wire 21 by clips 46, so that lateral stresses are applied to the outer cantilever sections 40 and transferred to all springs by short helical springs 41, interconnecting sections 40 with each other and the side arms 45 of said edge wire.

The described back construction permits of proper support and cushion effect in back seat structures without the use of specifically built frames and additional supporting or bracing members and insures proper yielding support over the entire width of the resting surface and, though of greatest simplicity, will stand up during long and abusive use without deformation and loss of yielding action.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. The combination of a resting member embodying a plurality of wire springs mounted side by side and connected with each other, with an edge wire embodying two U-shaped portions secured in reversed position to each other and said resting member, said U-shaped portions each including a middle portion secured to all said springs and side portions, which in unassembled condition diverge and in assembled condition are forcibly drawn toward each other, attached to each other and coupled with the outer springs of said resting member to effect lateral stretching of said member, said side portions being dimensioned to overlap each other a substantial distance to stiffen the sides of the assembled edge wire.

2. The combination of a resting member embodying a frame, a plurality of elongated wire springs secured to said frame crosswise thereof in elevated position with respect to said frame, and means to connect said springs with each other to a resting surface, with an edge wire embodying two reversely arranged U-shaped portions having middle portions secured to all of said springs and side portions, which in unassembled condition diverge and in assembled condition are forcibly drawn toward each other, said side portions being coupled with the outer ones of the springs of said resting member to effect lateral stretching of said resting surface, and said side portions being dimensioned to overlap each other a substantial distance in the assembled edge wire to reenforce and stifien the sides of said edge wire, the overlapping portions of said side portions being secured to each other.

3. The combination of a resting member embodying a frame, a plurality of elongated wire springs mounted on said frame crosswise thereof in elevated position with respect thereto, and means connecting said springs with each other, with an edge wire having a middle portion secured to all said springs, side portions which diverge from each other in unassembled condition, forcibly drawn toward each other and attached to the outer ones of said springs, said side portions having their free ends bent inwardly to converge toward said middle portion, and said bent ends being pivotally connected with said frame to effect bulging stresses in said side portions and therewith lateral stretching of said resting member when said edge wire and springs are forcibly shifted toward said frame.

4. The combination of a resting member embodying a frame, a plurality of wire springs having cantileverlike extensions arranged in front of their end portions, said springs being mounted side by side crosswise of said frame and connected with each other to a resting surface including said cantileverlike extensions, and oppositely arranged, U-shaped edge wires encircling said resting surface, one of said edge wires having a middle portion secured to all said springs, and side portions, which in unassembled condition, diverge from each other and, in assembled condition, are forcibly drawn toward each other and attached to the outer springs of said resting surface, and the other one of said edge wires having its middle portion secured to said cantileverlike extensions, and its side portions attached to the sides of the outer ones of said cantileverlike extensions and the side portions of said first edge wire.

5. The combination of a resting member embodying a frame, a plurality of wire springs having cantileverlike extensions arranged in front of their end portions, said springs being mounted side by side crosswise of said frame and connected with each other to form a resting surface including said cantilever extensions, and oppositely arranged U-shaped edge wires encircling said resting surface, one of said edge wires having a middle portion secured to all said-springs, and side portions forcibly drawn toward and attached to the sides of the outer ones of said springs and pivotally secured to said frame, and the other one of said edge wires having a middle portion secured to said cantileverlike extensions, and side portions yieldingly drawn toward and attached to the sides of the outer ones of said cantileverlike extensions and said side portions of said first edge wire.

6. The combination of a resting member embodying a frame, a plurality of wire springs hav ing cantileverlike extensions arranged in front of their end portions, said springs being mounted side by side crosswise of said frame and connected with each other to a resting surface including said cantileverlike extensions, and oppositely arranged substantially U-shaped edge wires encircling said resting surface,one of said edge wires having aweb portion secured to all said springs, and, at their ends hook-shaped, supporting side arms, which, in

unassembled condition, diverge from each other and, in assembled condition, ar forcibly drawn toward each other and attached to the sides of the outer springs of said resting surface and pivotally engaged with said frame, the other one of said edge wires having a web portion secured to said cantileverlike extensions, and side portions attached to the sides of the outer ones of said cantileverlike extensions and the supporting side arms of said first edge wire.

WILLIAM H. NEELY. 

